Notes From The Underground

Cathy blinked, but said nothing, still skeptical that this was going to lead them anywhere.

Erin continued "I mean, India needs to inform Zax when we are leaving to raid Echo's records. Clearly she must do this in a timely manner. That is, she must let Zax know sufficiently in advance that they can respond in whatever manner they have planned. She must also do so without letting us know. These are the only constraints. Given that, what are her options?"

Kelly looking a bit confused said "Well there are the usual methods: personal communicators, the Net, sending a persona, electronic agents whether open, concealed, or secret, etc. All the standard things everyone uses everyday.'

"And all of which we've clearly ruled out since we know from our search that India either doesn't have required physical device with her here, or if she does, that we can block it" said Erin.

"So where does that leave us?" said Kelly.

"Right back where we started from" said Cathy.

"Not exactly" said Erin. "Like Kelly said, these are the standard, everyday ways of communicating. But they are not the only ways. What if she is not using a standard method?"

"Clearly you don't expect her to build a fire and send smoke signals or set off fireworks?" said Cathy.

"No" said Erin. "These would violate our constraints."

"What then?" Cathy said.

"I don't know" said Erin. "But this is what we have to brainstorm."

"By the constraints you have established, India would need something that is both fast and that can be concealed from us. Since we are out in the middle of nowhere here at the Ranch, I can't see how she could possibly signal anyone without a communication device" said Cathy.

"How's that?" asked Kelly.

"Simple, do the math; assuming that India does not find out we are leaving until the last minute, this leaves at most a few hours warning that she could reasonably provide Zax. If they are prepared, this might be sufficient, however if a significant portion of that time is consumed in relaying her message, we will have come and gone before they can react. Therefore India's signal must be fast."

Kelly nodded her head as she assimilated Cathy's logic. Erin frowned, as she was also forced to agree with Cathy's reasoning, which was impeccable, as usual.

"What if the signal is not electronic" said Stacy who had been silent up to now.

"Then it will almost certainly be too slow" said Cathy.

"Wait" said Erin. "What are you thinking Stacy?"

"Well, Cathy's comment about a 'smoke signal' got me thinking. Suppose India only needs to signal someone a short distance away, someone waiting for her signal. That person could then relay the message electronically."

"Yes, good point!" said Erin, starting to think.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we have the area around the Ranch covered for 10 miles?" said Cathy.

"Yes…true" said Stacy immediately seeing where Cathy was going.

"Then anyone hoping to receive and relay India's message would need to be at least that far away. That's still a long way off if an electronic signal is ruled out" said Cathy.

"But it's still a lot shorter than the distance to the city or the even longer distance to Zax Island" said Erin, still thinking, but becoming more excited.

Kelly nodded her head and said "So…"

"So" interrupted Erin "an electronic signal would cover that distance almost instantaneously, while any other method would take significantly longer, as Cathy has pointed out. However, whatever method India's using does not have to be instantaneous; it just has to be fast enough to cover the 10 miles in say a few minutes or perhaps at most tens of minutes."

"True" said Stacy, "but what is fast enough to cover 10 miles in a few minutes that is not electronic?"

"It's not just cover 10 miles" said Cathy, its cover 10 miles of rugged, heavily forested terrain. Anything physical (i.e. not electronic) would need to fly to do that and we clearly know India does not have anything here that can fly."

"Fly…" said Erin thinking furiously. "What can fly?"

"Any number of things" said Kelly "transports, birds,…"

"Wait!" said Eric holding her hand up and pointing her index finger in the air. "Birds…"

"Birds?" said Cathy.

"Yes, birds" said Erin. "I read somewhere once, that in ancient times people used trained birds to carry messages. This was before electronic methods were known. It was supposed to be both fast and effective."

"Yes…I've read about that too" said Cathy. "But India doesn't have any birds with her, not to mention trained ones."

"True" said Stacy, "but maybe she doesn't have too."

How's that?" said Cathy.

"Well suppose they are already here. I mean, there are birds all over the place. If Zax released some trained ones near by, how would we know?"

"Yes!" said Erin, "exactly! How would we know? They might even be ones that are indigenous to the area."

Cathy looked at her skeptically and said "Even if that were the case, India could hardly be expected to find one and attach a message to it at a moments notice."

Everyone one was silent for a moment they all mulled the logic of Cathy's words. Then Kelly said "maybe she doesn't need to find one, maybe the bird could be trained to find her."

"How's that?" said Erin.

"Well you know how birds are, always looking for things to eat. I always see them pecking around. Suppose all India needed to do was leave something for the bird to find…"

"Something the bird wanted to find…" chimed Stacy "like…food."

"Food…" said Erin thinking again "…food! Where's that inventory of India's stuff?"

"Here" said Stacy as the list appeared projected on the back wall of the room.

"Scroll down" said Erin, scanning the list anxiously. 'There, stop! The bag of crackers; it's the only food on the list."

Stacy stopped scrolling the list and highlighted the crackers. Instantly, an image of a small clear bag containing a dozen or so crackers appeared on the wall.

The four women looked the image and at each other. "You don't think that…" began Cathy still looking at the image on the wall.

"I don't know" said Erin also continuing to look at the image of the crackers, "but perhaps we should take a closer look."

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Laura was better than her words. She left Kathryn and Phoebe alone for the better part of a week before commencing with Kathryn's training. Phoebe was thankful for this, since as it was, she was still a little sore from their punishment the week before. Both women had suffered; Phoebe was stiff and her legs, thighs, and groin ached with the abuse of ridding the horse and Kathryn's pussy was raw and swollen. Every time she moved the diaper chaffed roughly against her raw and swollen lips, and worse her entire pisshonie burned whenever she was forced to urinate in her diaper (which was often).

Kathryn found the latter the hardest to bear. Being forced to wet and mess herself was not something that she had adjusted to yet or for that matter ever would. Phoebe had tried to help her by making useful suggestions based on what she had learned from observing and talking to the other diapered slaves. It seemed that these women tried to mess themselves in the morning, just before being removed from their cells. It was at this time that all of Zax's salves we allowed to shower and clean up before beginning their day. By taking care of 'business' at this time, a diapered salve could in principal remain 'mess-free' for most or all of the day. This is not to say that the morning provided the only opportunity for a diaper change, however as Kathryn found out from experience, diaper changes were irregular and sporadically spaced throughout the day. On some days Kathryn might receive two or three or more changes, on other day's only one or two. Changes were impossible to predict and seemed to depend more on Laura's mood than anything else; however the morning change was guaranteed and the one constant that Kathryn could rely upon. The only problem was training herself to 'go' consistently at the beginning of the day. This was something Kathryn was still working on, although she did seem to be making some headway.

Wetting was another matter and Phoebe could offer little advice or guidance here. As a practical matter there was probably no realistic solution to this problem. Even on the best of days where Kathryn might receive three or more diaper changes, these were far too few compared to the number of times she needed to pee. At first, Kathryn tried to hold it as long as possible, but in the end, no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up having to wet herself. In fact, on several occasions holding her pee had backfired on her, as Laura had suddenly appeared and ordered a change while she had a full bladder. This left Kathryn needing to pee desperately with no diaper change in sight. As a result she had been forced to wet herself and remain in the soiled diaper for hours. Not that this was all that bad. Unlike messing, wetting was not nearly as uncomfortable. The diaper absorbed moisture well, leaving Kathryn for the most part 'dry'. The only problem was that the diaper swelled more and more with each wetting becoming heavier and more awkward to wear. Still, a few wettings were usually not too bad. In the end, Kathryn decided that trying to control when she peed was not worth the bother and she 'went' whenever she felt the urge.

This was not to say however that wetting (or messing) was ever easy. Kathryn struggled each time she 'went'. It took a conscious effort to soil herself and her embarrassment and shame never lessened with time. Worst of all was having to 'go' in front of Phoebe (and on occasion, Laura). The humiliation of wetting or messing herself in front of another woman was so intense that Kathryn invariably ended up crying. The feel of hot urine soaking her pisshonie or a warm mess filling her diaper was something that Kathryn neither could nor would ever get used to. Being forced to do this continually on a daily basis in no way lessened or diminished the extreme embarrassment and humiliation of these acts. And if this was not enough, Kathryn found that she was always left excited by what she was forced to do. This troubled her most of all; at first she had tried to ignore her feelings, but her excitement grew with each wetting or messing until Kathryn was filled with self-doubt about her character. Was she really one of 'those girls'? A tramp or a slut? The kind of girl Headmistress Echo had so warned them about at the school. The kind of girl she thought she never had to worry about emulating or becoming? In the end, this began to torment Kathryn more than anything else until finally one day she had forced herself to ask Phoebe.

"Do you think I am slut?" Kathryn said, seemingly out of the blue.

"What?" asked Phoebe not sure what had motivated Kathryn to ask such a question.

"Do you think I am slut?" repeated Kathryn.

Phoebe looked at her carefully before saying "No, why do you ask?"

"Well it's just…it's just that…" stammered Kathryn blushing.

"Just what?" said Phoebe continuing to study Kathryn's face for some clue about this strange girl and her odd questions.

Kathryn blush depended until her skin was bright red. "I have these feelings" She offered.

"What feelings?" asked Phoebe, perplexed.

"You know" said Kathryn her eyes looking down and focusing on her diapered crotch.

"Oh" said Phoebe beginning to understand. "No that does not make you a slut. Everyone has those feelings. It's natural. After all, you are an adult woman."

Kathryn looked at her wide eyed and thought about what she had said for a minute or so. "Yes, but I seem…they seem to be…getting more frequent" she said, her blush becoming redder.

"It's perfectly normal to have such desires and have them often" Phoebe reassured her.

"No" said Kathryn. "I mean…they occur whenever I…I…you know…in the diaper."

"You mean when you wet or mess your diaper?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes" said Kathryn looking down and blushing from her hairline to her waist.

A sudden pang of sympathy overcame Phoebe. This was a common 'complaint' that the other diapered slaves had reported. It seemed none of them ever got used to wetting and messing themselves. Worse their embarrassment and shame seemed to increase rather than decrease over time. This was in part due to the fact, that without exception, their excitement at soiling themselves grew rather than diminished over time. Phoebe had heard rumors that their food contained pheromones and other chemicals that when excreted during a wetting or messing could trigger intense sexual desire upon contact with their pussies. This was one of the reasons all the diapered slaves tried to avoid staying in a messy or wet diaper too long. In addition there were the facts that every girl learned in school. Genetic engineering left every woman predisposed to feelings of shame and embarrassment concerning these aspects of sexuality and punishment. After all, this is what made the penal system work. The old triple pillars of society: the Venkatesan Modification, the Servitude Laws, and the New Social Contact; all working together to insure peace and prosperity. A bit of embarrassment and sexual frustration seemed a small price to pay, at least in principal.

Phoebe put her hand on Kathryn's shoulder and said "I've talked with the other diapered slaves and they all report the same thing. Some of them claim that there are chemicals in the food that make you feel that way. In any case, I wouldn't worry about it since it seems to be a universal feeling."

Kathryn looked at her mentor and thought for a moment. "So you don't think I'm a slut?" she said, brightening a little.

"No" replied Phoebe. "I don't."

Kathryn looked visibly relieved and Phoebe smiled at her, touching the young woman's cheek with her fingers.

"I wouldn't worry about such things in the future either" added Phoebe. "Most of the slaves here are decent women although we are all forced to do indecent things."

Kathryn thought this over, reassured by her mentor's words, although she would have liked to talk with some of the other diapered slaves about this problem. This was yet another thing that Kathryn found odd about her confinement in the dungeon: in all her time here she had yet to see another diapered slave or for that matter talk to any of the other slaves. Kathryn knew that Zax possessed several diapered slaves and many more slaves like Phoebe. However except for a few brief occasions she had yet to meet or speak to any of them. Instead she and Phoebe spent their days alone in the recreation room and their nights locked up together in their cell. She had also questioned Phoebe about this, but her mentor's didn't seem to know much more about the matter than she did.

"I suppose Laura is waiting for you to start your training or perhaps complete it before she allows you to meet and mingle with the other slaves" said Phoebe in reply to her inquiry.

As things turned out, Kathryn did not have time to contemplate these matters much further for Laura's reprieve came to an end all too soon. When her training started however it was not at all what Kathryn expected; at least not at first. From Phoebe's blunt revelation of what was expected of the slaves in Zax's dungeon, Kathryn had expected the worst. More than once she had woken up late at night in her cell, sweating and shaking from a nightmare in which she was forced to perform some hideous and taboo act for Laura or some group of faceless women. These nightmares left her mind in turmoil and more often than not, Kathryn had trouble returning to sleep. Worse, she could not really confide in Phoebe about her terrible dreams since her mentor seemed to accept their condition unquestioningly and completely just like she accepted the sun's rising in the East and setting in the West, an immutable consequence of natural law, both ordinary in its daily occurrence and incontrovertible in its repeatable and factual demonstration.

It was therefore much to Kathryn's relief and surprise when Laura announced one morning "Today your formal training begins with slave etiquette and general dungeon protocol." Addressing Phoebe she continued "Take her to one of the session chambers and instruct her."

"Yes Mistress" replied Phoebe, eyes downcast.

"You have two weeks to familiarize her with the basic equipment, etiquette, and proper protocol. Makes sure she learns her lessons well or you both will suffer."

"Yes Mistress" repeated Phoebe, noting how Laura has stressed the word 'both' when referring to the consequences of Kathryn failing to learn her lessons.

Laura eyed them both for a minute, and then turning on her heel, left without saying another word.

Although Kathryn did not understand a word of what Laura had said, she breathed a sigh of relief, since it was clear that, at least for now, her worst nightmares would not be realized. Phoebe was also relieved and surprised, but not for the same reasons as Kathryn. For most slaves, training usually began with instruction in the sexual servicing of a Mistress. Protocol, etiquette, and equipment instruction were things that were picked up along the way. Zax wanted its slaves working as quickly as possible both to recoup its investment and to help service it's busy, important, and demanding clientele. In Kathryn's case, Laura was taking a different tact. This was both unusual and surprising. However, Phoebe reminded herself, Kathryn was also unusual so perhaps Laura's approach was not so surprising after all. In any event, it was definitely not Phoebe's place to question her Mistress. Better to follow orders and avoid trouble. Also it was a relief not to have to instruct Kathryn in sexual servicing. Her charge seemed so incredibly naïve in these matters that Phoebe doubted her ability to adequately instruct the young woman. At the very least, such instruction would prove difficult and time consuming and be extremely awkward since Kathryn seemed to know so little about her body and sexuality. Phoebe was still incredulous about her lack of basic knowledge in this area, but at the same time, the reprieve afforded by Laura's instructions was welcome.

Letting out a deep breath Phoebe said, "Follow me" and walked out of the recreation room into the dimly lit black-stone corridor.

Kathryn followed her mentor in silence. She wanted to ask Phoebe a host of questions, but had learned to follow her mentor's lead and not be too inquisitive. In the end, her questions were usually answered and in retrospect Kathryn had discovered her enlightenment had been less satisfactory than the uncertainty of her initial ignorance.

It was not a long distance to their destination, and after descending a short flight of stone steps, Phoebe stopped in a room similar to the cell they slept in each night. Looking around Kathryn noted that pairs of chains with leather cuffs hung at various places along the walls and ceiling and that the room was furnished with a table and a couple of chairs of heavy wooden and metal construction. An arched doorway occupied the wall to her left, its heavy wooden and iron studded door open, revealing a darkened chamber beyond.

"This is a typical play or session chamber" announced Phoebe, sweeping her right arm around the room. "The adjoining room is where the equipment is stored" continued Phoebe pointing at the archway.

Kathryn nodded, still taking in her surroundings and trying to understanding what Phoebe was telling her. Play chamber? Equipment room? It all seemed so strange, and worse ominous. Although the cell she was in was well lit, the black stone walls and rough furnishings of the room made it appear dark, dingy, and foreboding. The room reminded her of a torture chamber like the ones she had seen in her ancient history classes at school.